How Much Does It Cost to Live in the Netherlands in 2027?

Thinking of moving to the Netherlands, or already living here and wondering whether your monthly expenses are normal? I’ve been living in the Netherlands for 13 years now, as of 2026, and let me tell you, the cost of living in the Netherlands can be quite high, particularly when it comes to housing, healthcare and everyday bills — especially when you’ve just arrived (and more so, if you’re living alone!).

Over the years I’ve learned that budgeting isn’t just allocating money for your rental and groceries…you also need to account for annual bills, including municipal taxes, water board charges and potentially additional income tax.

I’ve also learned that sharing household expenses can make an huge difference to how much money you have left over at the end of each month. So if you have the option to share an apartment or house, please look into this seriously.

So, how much does it cost to live in the Netherlands in 2027? Here’s a practical breakdown of what you should budget for.

Note: The figures below use available 2026 data alongside government estimates for 2027. Actual costs will depend on where you live, your household and your lifestyle.

How much money do you need per month in the Netherlands?

For someone renting privately, housing is likely to be the biggest expense. Here are two examples of monthly budgets for a single person and a couple, including eating out twice a month and putting money aside for annual tax bills.

These figures are illustrative budgets, not official national averages or final 2027 prices. They assume both households rent their homes and that the couple has no children. Note — Finding a private rental for €1,400 a month may also be challenging in popular cities! I paid over €1300 per month excluding utilities (for a place in The Hague), and that was over 10 years ago!

The figures are based on take-home income and exclude childcare, car ownership, debt repayments, additional income tax that may be due, and savings.

What’s interesting is how much more affordable some expenses become when they’re shared. In this example, the couple spends approximately €1,952 per person, compared with €2,599 for someone living alone.

Let’s look at the main costs in more detail.

Housing: your biggest monthly expense

Housing will probably determine how much money you need to live comfortably in the Netherlands.

According to the Pararius Rental Monitor for the third quarter of 2026, new tenants in the unregulated rental sector paid an average of €1,914 per month. That’s a massive amount, particularly for someone living alone.

Location makes a difference too. Amsterdam is generally more expensive than many other Dutch cities. The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven also have competitive rental markets, but prices vary by neighbourhood, property size and condition.

So this is why I mentioned earlier that sharing a home, renting a room or choosing a smaller town may help reduce your monthly costs. If you’re looking for a property, also check whether the advertised rent includes service charges, utilities or furnishings. These can make a considerable difference to your final bill.

If you’re still preparing to relocate, our guide on how much it costs to move to the Netherlands in 2027 covers the separate one-time expenses involved in moving, including rental deposits, temporary accommodation, furniture and other settling-in costs.

Gas, electricity and drinking water

Your rent or mortgage isn’t your only housing expense. You’ll also need to budget for electricity, heating and water (the latter also depends on yourrental agreement, as some agreements including things like electricity).

According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), an average Dutch household faced an estimated annual energy bill of €1,993 using January 2026 prices and expected consumption. That’s approximately €166 per month.

However, energy costs depend heavily on the size and insulation of your home, your heating system and how much energy you use. An older, poorly insulated property can be significantly more expensive to heat.

Drinking water is generally billed separately, while local authorities and regional water authorities also charge for services such as waste collection, sewerage and water management.

Some of these bills arrive annually rather than monthly, which brings us to another important expense.

Municipal taxes, water board taxes and annual bills

One thing that newbies here sometimes overlook is the collection of local taxes you pay in the Netherlands. This can come as quite a surprise, especially in the beginning when you’re building up your life here (which is expensive in itself).

Even if you rent your home, you may receive annual tax bills. Rather than paying these from your regular monthly income when they arrive, it’s sensible to set aside a small amount throughout the year.

Municipal taxes (gemeentelijke belastingen)

Municipal taxes help fund local services, including waste collection and sewerage.

You may encounter:

• Afvalstoffenheffing: waste collection tax.
• Rioolheffing: sewerage tax, depending on your municipality and housing arrangements.
• Onroerendezaakbelasting (OZB): property tax for homeowners.

According to COELO’s 2026 Atlas of Local Taxes, renters paid an average of €391 annually in municipal charges for a single-person household and €500 for a multi-person household.

For budgeting purposes, setting aside approximately €35–€45 per month is a reasonable starting point for municipal bills, although your actual charges will depend on where you live.

Water board taxes (waterschapsbelasting)

Water board taxes are separate from your drinking-water bill and are collected by the regional water authority.

These charges help pay for wastewater treatment, water management and flood protection.

According to COELO’s 2026 water board figures, multi-person renting households paid an average of €388 annually in water board charges. Single-person households generally pay less because of differences in wastewater treatment charges.

For your monthly budget, you could set aside around €25 if you live alone or €35 for a couple. These are indicative savings amounts rather than fixed national tariffs.

Homeowners generally pay additional property-related charges.

What about annual income tax?

The Netherlands also has an annual income-tax system, known as inkomstenbelasting. If you’re employed, your employer normally deducts wage tax from your salary every month. This means you shouldn’t automatically add a second full income-tax payment to your household budget.

However, filing an annual tax return can sometimes result in an additional amount to pay, or even a refund. You may need to reserve more money if you’re self-employed, have freelance income on the side, earn income that hasn’t already been taxed or have savings and investments that create an additional tax liability.

If you’re self-employed, it’s particularly important to set money aside for income tax and any applicable contributions throughout the year, rather than waiting until the final assessment arrives.

You can also arrange a voorlopige aanslag, or provisional tax assessment, allowing you to pay estimated tax during the year.

There’s no single monthly income-tax reserve that applies to everyone, so calculate this separately according to your circumstances.

Other annual expenses worth saving for

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need to budget for vehicle taxes or expenses in general, insurance renewals, home maintenance, replacement appliances and unexpected healthcare bills.

A useful habit is to divide your expected annual bills by 12 and transfer that amount into a separate savings account every month. That way, you’re prepared when the bills arrive instead of having to find several hundred euros at short notice.

Groceries and eating out

Groceries are another important part of the monthly cost of living in the Netherlands. Our family did a calculation a while back which showed that simply by doing our groceries at the Lidl each month, we would save in the region of €200 each month! Now we put that savings into an investment account each month.

Based on Nibud’s 2026 guidelines for a basic healthy diet, a single adult needs roughly €260–€290 per month for food. For two adults, the guideline is around €500. These are minimum food budgets, not averages of what households spend at supermarkets.

As you can imagine, supermarket prices vary, particularly between discount chains and more specialised stores. Shopping at Lidl, Aldi or Dirk, comparing weekly offers and buying supermarket own-brand products can help control costs.

Eating out is another expense worth including in your budget rather than treating it as an unexpected extra. For this example, I’ve allowed for eating out twice a month at approximately €40 per person per visit. That’s €80 per month for someone living alone or €160 for a couple.

Of course, a casual lunch will usually cost less than a three-course dinner with drinks, so actual spending will depend on where you go.

Health insurance costs in 2027

Dutch basic health insurance is compulsory for most people who live or work in the Netherlands. Every adult generally pays their own monthly premium. Each December our family always compares health insurance to make sure we’ve got the best price with the best coverage. Nowadays you can use AI to help compare prices which is very useful.

The Dutch government estimates that the average basic health-insurance premium will increase to approximately €169 per month in 2027. Individual insurers set their own prices, so your actual premium may differ.

The mandatory annual excess, known as the eigen risico, is set to increase from €385 in 2026 to €400 in 2027.

This means you may have to pay certain healthcare costs yourself before your insurer covers them. Not every type of healthcare is subject to the excess.

It’s worth maintaining savings for healthcare expenses that fall under the excess. If you wanted to spread the full €400 across the year, that would mean setting aside approximately €33 per adult per month in addition to your insurance premium. This reserve isn’t included in the main budget table.

Depending on your income and circumstances, you may also qualify for zorgtoeslag, the Dutch healthcare allowance. You can check your eligibility through Dienst Toeslagen.

Transport, internet and everyday expenses

One advantage of living in the Netherlands is that you don’t necessarily need a car. I never had a car for many years until we started a family and then it became more necessary. In fact, I got around in The Hague by walking, taking the bus or tram, and cycling on the weekends. Cycling is practical in many cities, while trains, trams, metros and buses make it possible to travel around much of the country using public transport.

Your monthly transport costs will depend on where you live and work. If you commute regularly by train, investigate season tickets and ask whether your employer offers travel reimbursement.

Other recurring expenses include mobile phone contracts, home internet, liability insurance, streaming subscriptions, gym memberships and personal spending.

These smaller bills are easy to overlook individually, but together they can make a noticeable difference to your monthly budget.

If you’re new to the country, our article on the five must-have apps for moving to the Netherlands in 2027 introduces useful digital tools for navigating public transport, accessing government services, making payments and managing everyday life.

How can you reduce your cost of living in the Netherlands?

There are several ways to reduce your monthly spending, from comparing insurance and energy contracts to shopping more carefully. But in my experience, one of the biggest differences comes from something much more fundamental: sharing household expenses.

Sharing household costs can make a huge difference

One of the best ways to save money in the Netherlands is to live with someone else and share your household expenses. Rent or mortgage repayments, utilities, internet and other regular bills become much more manageable when you’re not covering everything on your own.

I know this from personal experience. When I first lived alone in the Netherlands, I was spending around half my salary on rent. It was expensive, and there wasn’t much left over at the end of the month.

Years later, when my husband and I combined our incomes, things changed considerably. Sharing our mortgage repayments and household expenses made life much more affordable. Suddenly, I had more money left over each month, which was a wonderful feeling, especially because I could put more towards savings.

And I think that’s something really important to consider. Being able to save money every month is crucial, whether you’re building an emergency fund, planning a holiday, saving towards a home or simply creating some financial security.

Of course, not everyone has a partner to share expenses with. But if you’re moving to the Netherlands alone, renting a room in a shared house rather than an entire apartment could make a significant difference to your monthly budget.

Other practical ways to save money

Beyond sharing household expenses, there are several other ways to keep costs under control. Compare your energy and insurance contracts regularly, and check whether you’re paying for subscriptions you rarely use.

For groceries, look at supermarket offers and loyalty programmes rather than shopping at the same place out of habit. Cycling more often can also reduce your transport expenses.

Finally, check whether you qualify for Dutch allowances such as huurtoeslag (rent benefit), zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) or childcare benefit. Eligibility depends on your personal circumstances, including income and sometimes assets or housing arrangements.

Depending on your municipality and financial circumstances, you may also qualify for reductions or exemptions from certain local taxes.

And perhaps most importantly, try to put something into savings every month, even if it’s a relatively small amount. Having money set aside for unexpected expenses can make life considerably less stressful.

Living in the Netherlands: plan for the monthly costs

The cost of living in the Netherlands in 2027 will largely depend on the choices you make about housing, transport and everyday spending.

While some bills are unavoidable, understanding how Dutch systems work can help you avoid unnecessary expenses. Just remember to budget for annual taxes and irregular bills, and try to save something each month.

For me, sharing household expenses was one of the biggest financial turning points after moving to the Netherlands. Having money left over at the end of the month made an enormous difference, and being able to save regularly provided a sense of financial security. I’ve also learnt how to save more and more money over the years through careful comparison of where I shop and the services providers I use.

If you’d like a broader perspective on living in the Netherlands as an expat, I’ve also written about my own experiences of adapting to Dutch life, from finding accommodation and building friendships to understanding the local culture.

For more practical guidance on moving to and living in the Netherlands, explore SecondSoil, an audio-led app offering short, human-recorded guides, practical articles and useful links. From money and budgeting to housing, healthcare and Dutch systems, it helps you navigate everyday life.

Download the SecondSoil app on Google Play and listen to the Money & Budgeting guides for more practical tips on managing life in the Netherlands.

Written by Elizabeth Joss, founder of SecondSoil and a South African who has lived in the Netherlands since 2013.

Data note: This article uses available 2026 market and living-cost benchmarks and Dutch government estimates for 2027. Actual prices, tax rates and insurance premiums should be checked before publication and whenever material changes occur.

Frequently asked questions about living costs in the Netherlands

Is it expensive to live in the Netherlands in 2027?

Living in the Netherlands can be expensive, particularly if you’re renting privately in Amsterdam or another popular city. Housing is often the largest expense, followed by groceries, utilities and healthcare. Your overall costs will depend on your location, household size and lifestyle.

Can you live comfortably in the Netherlands on €3,000 a month?

It depends on whether €3,000 is your gross or take-home income, whether you live alone or share expenses, and how much you pay for housing. For a single person with manageable rent, €3,000 net may provide a workable budget but it may be tight. For a family renting privately, the same amount could be quite challenging.

Do you pay municipal taxes if you rent in the Netherlands?

Yes, renters generally pay certain municipal charges, particularly waste collection tax and sometimes sewerage tax. They also usually pay water board taxes. The exact amounts depend on the municipality, regional water authority and household size.

Do you need to save for annual income tax in the Netherlands?

If you’re employed, income tax is normally deducted from your salary. However, you may still receive an additional tax assessment after filing your annual return. Self-employed people and those with other taxable income should make separate arrangements to reserve or prepay the tax they expect to owe.

Is it cheaper to live with a partner in the Netherlands?

It can be considerably cheaper per person when two people share housing and household expenses. Rent or mortgage repayments, internet and utilities don’t necessarily double when another person joins the household. Sharing these costs may leave both people with more disposable income and a greater opportunity to save.